Nairobi, KENYA: Cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development Authorities Judy Wakhungu has urged Kenyans to embrace appropriate plastic and bottle disposal across the country in a bid to protect the blue economy along the Kenyan coastline.
Speaking in an event of launching waste disposal exercise drive courtesy of the Kenya Manufacturers Association at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Wakhungu warned that even though Kenya banned usage of plastic bags, there is a need for Kenyans to embrace appropriate disposal of plastics including bottles indicating that they pose a danger to the blue economy.
She said that if decisive action is not taken as early as possible the Kenyan coastline will be in danger as a result of the poor disposal of plastic related products.
“Plastic waste management is already choking our water bodies and oceans.It is estimated that by 2050, we will have more plastics in the ocean than fish .” Wakhungu said.
“Livestock, fish, turtles, and seabirds for example are ingesting plastic with tragic results.”She added
Wakhungu said that there is need to address pollution resulted from bottles, indicating that a move by the government to ban bottles across national parks and game reserves has impacted positively in the fight against the pollution.
She added that the government is moving with speed to scale up the 600 km policy of marking some coastline as a protected area which will be a mitigating factor in securing the blue economy.
